A Broken and Repentant Heart

About that time David’s son Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, began boasting, “I will make myself king.” So he provided himself with chariots and charioteers and recruited fifty men to run in front of him. Now his father, King David, had never disciplined him at any time, even by asking, “Why are you doing that?” Adonijah had been born next after Absalom, and he was very handsome. [1 Kings 1.5-6]

In further fulfillment of Nathan's prophecy to David after he committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband Uriah, another of David's offspring went astray.

Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.’ ” [2 Samuel 12.11-12]

It is not surprising that God's Word would be fulfilled, but what is interesting is the revelation that David never disciplined Adonijah. Why?

The fact that David never disciplined Adonijah and subsequently that Adonijah turned against his family is important to understand. It is written as it is in the Word to make the point clear that discipline is necessary in rearing children.

Now, back to David... Did he give up on his children after Nathan's prophecy? David played a role in the fulfillment of the prophecy by not disciplining Adonijah! Is there a lesson here for us?

Would David's life have turned out differently had he exercised more discipline on his children? Did David just give up on his children after Nathan's prophecy that David's own family would be rife with adversity? Is that what David should have done?

Sin is a disease. It occurs to me that if we know we have the disease, we should do everything within our power to fight it. And, furthermore, why would we not fight the disease to preserve, as best we can, the lives of our children?

As I consider Psalm 51, David's prayer/song of repentance, I wonder at what point David gave up on his repentance? It makes me consider what David did in humbling himself while his illegitimate child from Bathsheba was sick and dying, only to cease that activity after the child died. In fact, all his people questioned him on it. Look at David's answer:

And he said, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” [2 Samuel 12.22-23]

It appears David only listened to part of Nathan's prophecy regarding his sin. David only considered that the baby would die. David apparently gave no thought to the part that Nathan said about David's house being filled with adversity. Why would David not apply the same estimation of God's mercy (Who can tell whether the LORD will be gracious to me...) to his future offspring? David's failure to discipline Adonijah screams of resignation to judgment instead of "Who can tell whether the LORD will be gracious to me..."

The bottom line is that it appears maybe that David should have remained repentant and humbled toward his situation about his family. It appears that we should be as committed to humility towards God even in our "screwed-up" circumstances (especially those of our own doing)!

David's own words indict him:

The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. [Psalm 51.17]

May this always be our attitude and position before God! May we ever remain humble and repentant before our Father!

Father, the sacrifice You desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.